


Return to Twilight

by TheBookWriter



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Angry Ilia, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Mild Gore, Nightmares, One-Sided Attraction, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-12-24 00:43:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21090545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBookWriter/pseuds/TheBookWriter
Summary: After Midna's departure, Link begins having unsettling dreams about the Twilight Princess. But are they truly cause for concern, or simply the product of his own regrets and a restless heart?





	1. Chapter 1

_They were at the Arbiter's Grounds, standing on the platform beside the Mirror of Twilight. Although Link could sense Zelda's presence at his side, he only had eyes for Midna, who stood before them._

_"So, I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna was saying. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know."_

_Then, perhaps sensing Link's sadness, she said, "But...never forget there is another world bound to this one."_

_Something about that statement seemed strange to Link. It was as though Midna were trying to make a subtle hint at something, but was unwilling to elaborate in front of Zelda._

_"Yes..." Zelda mused. "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One can not exist without the other." Looking at the Mirror, she went on, "I know the reason why the Goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was their desire that we should meet. That is what I believe," she added quietly, glancing sideways at Link._

_Midna smiled, but there was something different about her smile. She seemed...sad. Link had seen her express many emotions in their brief time together, but sadness was a rarity. In that instant, Link felt his own heart give an unpleasant twist. It wasn't often that his instincts were ever wrong, and now he was afraid. Afraid, because Midna had only smiled like that once before- when she had attempted to face Ganondorf alone with the Fused Shadow. Now, Link was certain that Midna was intending to do something terrible._

_"Zelda," Midna said. "Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you'll do all right."_

_With that, Midna turned away and walked until she stood directly in front of the portal to the Twilight Realm. At once, a set of stairs appeared from thin air leading to the small platform before the portal's entrance. There, she stopped and turned towards Link for the final time._

_"Thank you, Link," she said._

_His throat too full of emotion to speak, Link could only nod. _

_"Well," Midna said. "Zelda's right. As long as this mirror's around, we could meet again."_

_"I..."_

_To Link's astonishment, Midna's eyes were swimming with tears as she said his name. In that instant, he felt an overwhelming wave of panic engulf him. The moment, he knew, was seconds away..._

_"Wait Midna!" he said, somehow managing to speak around the massive lump in his throat. "Don't-"_

_But it was too late- raising her right hand, Midna sent her tear floating through the air, towards the Mirror of Twilight._

_"See you later," she said. _

_Everything happened so quickly- Midna's tear collided with the mirror, causing jagged cracks to appear within moments. Horrified, Link and Zelda turned their heads to catch one last glimpse of Midna smiling at them before light spilled from the mirror's surface, and she vanished from sight. Barely a moment had passed before the mirror disintegrated entirely, casting bits of pearly white light in every direction._

_For several long heartbeats, Link stood rooted to the spot, until finally the reality of the situation hit him in full force. He collapsed to his knees beside Zelda, distantly aware of the tears that now streamed unchecked down his face and the forlorn howling of the dessert wind that echoed through these ancient ruins. Midna was gone. And she was never coming back._

.....

Then the dream changed.

.....

_Link found himself in a room of intense blackness. In fact, it was so dark that there was no way to know if the room he was in had a ceiling, or walls. As he walked forward, the ground was solid beneath his feet, and as he glanced down, he could see his own reflection staring at him._

_"Link!"_

_He knew that voice- Midna's voice. But even as he turned in all directions searching for the source, he could see nothing. There was only darkness._

_"Midna?" he called out, and in his own ears his voice sounded small, echoing in the emptiness that surrounded him. "Where are you?"_

_"Link!"_

_Link wasn't sure when he started, but within moments he was running, frantically following the echoes of Midna's voice. _

_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running, he could see Midna far away on the horizon; her vibrant red hair and pale blue skin practically glowing in the darkness that surrounded her. As he drew nearer to her, however, Link's concern mounted as he realized Midna was clearly in distress- but why?_

_"Midna! Hold on, I'm coming!"_

_He was almost level with Midna now, but as he took another step forward, he was suddenly knocked backward as he collided with an invisible wall. Utterly bewildered, he stood up and tried again, but once more is progress was halted by an invisible barrier._

_But that was not what caused Link to turn around. As his eyes met Midna's, he had never seen such terrible fear in all his life._

_"LINK, BEHIND YOU!"_

_Too late. Before Link could move a muscle, there was cold breath on the back of his neck that made the hairs stand on end._

_"Foolish boy!"_

_Then there was a sharp cold pain at his neck, and he was falling, body colliding harshly with the cold and unforgiving ground as Midna screamed in rage and despair..._

.....

_"Tell me, do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs...The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of those that have left our world. That is why sadness always pervades the hour of twilight."_

As Link sat gazing towards the horizon, the words of a conversation from what seemed a lifetime ago played themselves over in his head. _The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of those that have left our world..._ How strange it was that those words held such significance now. As he gazed towards the amber sunset, Link was reminded again of such a sight not long ago.

It had happened just after Ganondorf's defeat. Having slain the Gerudo king, Link had been joined by Princess Zelda on the hill when they had both noticed a figure on the horizon- a figure who was distinctly familiar. Hardly daring to believe what he was seeing, Link had taken a few steps forward before breaking into a full sprint. He remembered how his heart had raced, how his mind had come undone in that moment. No...there was no way...could it really be her?

As he came closer to her, he slowed down until he stood facing her, struggling to find words until finally, all he could manage was her name. 

"M-Midna?"

She had smiled at him, with that slightly mischievous and haughty expression he remembered so well. Then she had spoken, and Link had known then that this was no illusion that stood before him.

"What? Am I so beautiful that you have no words left?"

In spite of his grief, Link was struggling to hold in his smile. He had to hand it to her, she was charming- even if it was in a stubborn and irritating sort of way. It was just one of the things about Midna that made Link love her even more.

So _why_, then, did she _leave_ him?

Cold bitterness settled over Link. The sun had at last vanished from sight now, leaving everything dark and cold. And here he was, back where he'd started, alone once again- with nothing to show for it. 

Link closed his eyes, his eyebrows knitted in frustration. Zelda had said light and darkness were sides of the same coin...One could not exist without the other... But what was the point of telling him all that if Midna had intended to destroy the mirror all along? Had Midna actually meant to tell him something that day, or had it all just been a sick joke to her? What, he wondered, was the point of any of it?

Link fell back onto the soft white sand, a terrible scream of rage escaping his lungs. 

"_NONE OF THIS MAKES ANY SENSE_!"

For along time after that he lay still on the ground, feeling rage course through him with every heartbeat. Eventually however the feeling subsided, replaced once again by empty, hollow feeling of grief. Without realizing it, tears had once again begun falling from his eyes.

"I should have told her how I'd felt about her when I had the chance..." he whispered. "Maybe if she'd only known... things might be different now..." He shut his eyes. "If only...if only I could see her again..."

Time passed. The forest remained just as peaceful as it always had been, with only the sound of wind rustling the branches of the trees and the soft bubbling of the Spring. At last Link stood up, and walked over to where Epona stood waiting at the edge of the Spring's pool. 

"_All is not lost, young hero_."

Link froze on the spot, and slowly turned back to face the spring. 

"Ordona?" he said cautiously.

_"Trust your heart, Link,_" Ordona said. "_Seek Princess Zelda in Hyrule Castle. She will help you to understand the visions you have seen_." 

"But how can she help?" Link asked.

There was no reply. 

"Ordona?" Link said again.

Still nothing. With a sigh, Link strode over to Epona and mounted the horse, guiding her into a brisk trot in the direction of home. He wasn't entirely sure what result Ordona thought would be wrought from speaking to Zelda, but he knew the Spirit wouldn't have spoken to him if it wasn't a matter of importance.

Whatever the reason, Link's mind was made up. First thing tomorrow, he was going to Hyrule.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's Chapter 2. I must say, things get pretty emotional in this fanfic from here on out, but if any of you readers are interested, I've made a list of songs which I think fit this story well. Just copy and paste it in your search bar in a separate tab if you'd like to have a listen while you read. :)
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ukQ7nxFTUc&list=PLtZD21yMYN3eUAOlxaPUIJ78A5I1ocb9w&index=1

Midna was sitting with her back against a wall, her eyes closed as her body throbbed with pain. 

She'd been trapped in this cell in the bowels of the Palace of Twilight for almost a week now, and all the while she could feel her magic being drained to the point it was now almost non-existent.

She was still finding it hard to believe that this was her reality right now. When she had returned to her home, she had assumed that was it- that the nightmare she'd been living had been brought to an end. As a result, she was completely unprepared for what happened next.

For the briefest moment, she'd observed that there was a ring of Shadow Beasts surrounding her. The next, something massive had struck her from behind. Completely winded, Midna had staggered forward and collapsed to the ground. Within seconds, she was out cold.

When she had woken the next day, she had been horrified to discover that she was trapped inside the most secure cell in the palace. Even more alarming, the shackles which bound her wrists and ankles were not only restraining her- they were slowly leeching her energy and magical power from her body. And, the cherry on top of the fucked up cake that was her current situation? The fact that whoever had organized this coup had taken the Fused Shadow, leaving her utterly powerless.

Despair overwhelmed her. Even if she managed by some chance to break free from her shackles, the effort required would leave her even more exhausted than with them on, meaning that she would have no strength left to fight her way out. And even if she could do that, she would be outnumbered. Oh, and of course she couldn't forget that her captors had the Fused Shadow too.

Still, she couldn't help noting -small comfort though it was- that while it had been a hard decision to destroy the Mirror of Twilight, her doing so meant that Hyrule would be spared from the new horrors that had fallen upon her own world. If her life had meant anything, if anything was worth dying for, that was.

_Hyrule..._

_Zelda..._

_Link..._

_Link..._

_Link!_

Midna bit the inside of her lip, struggling to hold back her own tears as regret threatened to consume her. _Don't think like that,_ she told herself. _Don't be selfish. If he was here, he'd be killed! I was right to destroy the Mirror. He's safer this way. Please, let him just forget about me..._

Yet, in spite of telling herself otherwise, her heart would not cease its desperate yearning. Before long, regardless of her efforts to stop them, tears flowed like a river down her face. Tipping her head back, Midna whispered into the empty darkness that surrounded her.

"Link..._forgive_ me."

.....

Several hours later, she was disturbed by the sound of the cell door opening. Straightening up, Midna glared across the dark room at the figure now standing on the opposite side of the magical barrier separating them.

"Princess Midna," he said in a cold voice.

Midna said nothing, but continued to glare at him from where she sat.

"I trust you are wondering who I am?"

"I know _exactly_ who you are," Midna said. Straightening up, she fixed him with a bitterly cold stare that would have caused many to take a step back out of the unspoken necessity for self-preservation.

"You're Xarxes. You're the reason our ancestors were banished here to start with. What I would like to know," she went on. "How is it that you've come to stand before me now, when you've been dead for centuries?"

Xarxes smiled. "I actually have you to thank for my revival, Princess Midna." Then his smile widened as Midna's expression changed to one of mingled bemusement and horror. "Well, you- and that...pathetic mortal you brought here. Though I must say- you did a fine job, getting rid of Zant for me. And Ganondorf, to boot."

"_What_?"

Xarxes chuckled- a chilling, empty sound that echoed in the darkness of the chapter. "Oh, that's right. You don't know what those fools were trying to do. Well, allow me to explain. Shortly after banishing you, Zant had what he thought was a brilliant idea. He tried to resurrect me, using some of the power granted to him by Ganandorf, because it was their design that the three of us should rule this world and the world of light. But, when my at the time lifeless corpse yielded no obvious signs of progress, he gave up."

"Then how are you still alive?" Midna said quietly.

Xarxes tilted his head. "How indeed?" He smirked. "Have you forgotten our people's history Midna? Have you forgotten that my origins are found in a realm beyond this one and that of the light dwellers? Your ancestors never truly defeated me. I was merely reduced to a deep slumber, until a power great enough could be found to awaken me. So in the end, it seems you once again have the light dwellers to blame for your misfortunes, hmm? Of course," he added with a cruel smile. "You only have yourself to blame. After all, you and that boy played right into our hands, didn't you?"

"So why am I still alive?" Midna demanded.

"Because there is still a purpose for you to fulfill in all this," Xarxes replied. "The Triforce of Hyrule. You're going to help me acquire its pieces."

"No, I won't!" Midna spat. "I've destroyed the Mirror! There's no way to reach Hyrule now!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Xarxes answered smugly. "I have no doubt the light dwellers will find a way to fix things from their end. They will send the one who bears the Triforce of Courage, and when he does- I will _tear_ it from his body."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Midna alone in darkness once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has an emotional farewell with Ilia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Before you read this chapter, you may want to take a moment to grab some tissues. This chapter becomes a real tear-jerker about halfway through.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as Link rose from his bed that morning. Quickly and methodically he began packing all the things he'd need for his journey, making a mental note to purchase some more red potion on the way there. When he was sure he hadn't forgotten anything important, Link slung the knapsack over his shoulders and descended down the wood ladder that led to his basement. There he found a large chest containing all the useful items he'd acquired during his quest with Midna- with the exception of the Master Sword, which he'd returned to the Sacred Grove shortly after Midna's leaving. 

Now that he was all set, Link climbed up the ladder and strode over to the door. Pausing for the final time, he took in this humble home with its wood furnishings and pleasant warmth.

He was going to miss this place.

With a sigh, he turned back to the door and exited the house, blinking as he emerged into the bright light of dawn. Quickly, he climbed down the ladder and strode over to Epona, who was standing dutifully beside the treehouse, calmly grazing the soft green grass.

"Hey girl," he said, giving her mane an affectionate pat. "You up for another long journey?"

Epona nudged Link's neck affectionately with her muzzle as if to say "Of course I am!"

Link smiled. "I thought you would be. I'll be back in a bit, I need to speak with Bo first."

Epona tossed her head, giving a loud snort. Smiling, Link patted her snout and then walked away, heading down the path that led to the village, and the mayor's house.

He was in luck. As he rounded the bend, Link could see Mayor Bo standing in front of his house with Ilia beside him. But what surprised Link was the fact that there was a Postman standing in front of them, evidently having just delivered mail to to the Mayor. As Link approached, the Postman turned to him.

"You're Mr. Link, right?" he said.

"I am."

"Very good sir. I was asked to deliver this letter to you."

Reaching inside is pack, the Postman extracted a letter bearing a symbol Link recognized at once- the Royal Family's crest. Taking it from the Postman, Link quickly opened it and began reading its contents.

_Link_

_As soon as you are able, please come to Hyrule Castle. There is a matter of great importance that I need to discuss with you. I'd rather not disclose all information in this letter, but I trust you will find the issue of personal significance as it concerns our friend, Midna._

_I remain, Princess Zelda._

For several seconds, Link forgot that Ilia and her father were looking at him. He stared blankly at Midna's name, feeling a sudden surge of emotions threaten to overwhelm him from the fact Zelda had acknowledged Midna as a _friend._

"Link, are you all right?" Ilia said after a considerable stretch of silence.

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine," Link said, quickly stowing the letter out of sight. "I'm just surprised is all. It's not every day you get a letter from Princess Zelda after all."

"Did she say what she wanted in the letter?" Bo asked.

Link shrugged. "Not really. Just that she needs to see me urgently."

Of course, Link had a strong feeling the reason that Zelda had written a letter to him was for the same reason that he was already leaving for Hyrule Castle. Perhaps she too had been visited by one of the Light Spirits, and had acted accordingly. And then there was the fact she'd mentioned Midna. Was it possible that she'd seen her in dreams as he had?

"Well, if that's what the Princess wants," Bo said. "You'd better get moving."

"I suppose." Link said.

Without warning, Ilia flung her arms around Link, pulling him into a hug that was surprisingly strong- her hands fisting in the material of his tunic on his back.

"Ilia!" Bo cried.

He wasn't the only one surprised by this sudden display of affection. He and Link stared at each other for several seconds- their shock reflected in each other's faces- neither knowing what to say.

And then Link realized that Ilia was _crying_. Still embarrassed and unsure of himself, Link awkwardly raised his arms, one hand gently patting Ilia's back.

"Hey, Ilia," he said quietly. "It's all right."

"No it isn't," Ilia answered. Her voice was brittle with tears. "The last time you went on some crazy adventure, you almost got yourself killed! What if something happens to you and you don't come back this time?" Her arms were now so tightly drawn around Link's ribs that it was becoming hard to breathe. "I...I don't want you to go!"

Silence followed this statement, lingering for some time until Link spoke.

"Ilia, do you remember that charm you gave me?"

He felt Ilia's grip relax a fraction at the question.

"Yes. You still have it, right?"

"Of course I do," Link answered. "And you know something, it's brought me tons of good luck."

"Really?" Ilia sniffed. At last she let go of Link, stepping back. 

"Really," Link answered with a smile. "The point is, as long as I have it, there's a good chance I'll make it back in one piece."

"Promise?" Ilia said.

"I promise," Link answered.

Ilia took a deep breath. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she smiled. "All right then. Be careful out there."

Link grinned at her. "See you later, Ilia."

"Bye, Link," Bo said. He offered his hand to Link- and to Link's astonishment, he realized that the mayor's eyes were swimming with tears. "Good luck."

"Goodbye, Bo," Link said, giving the mayor's hand a firm shake.

There was nothing else to say after that.


End file.
